A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has jailed eight internet fraudsters, popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys.
They were convicted and sentenced by Justice Rosemary Oghoghorie on Friday.
The convicts are Abasiofon Daniel Essien (a.k.a Jason Momoa), Gideon Junior, Edikan Ubong, Harrison Chiemelie, Ndifereke Umoh, Christopher Promise, Effiong Wisdom and Godswill Nsikan.
CONVERSEER learned that the convicts were prosecuted on two-count separate charges that border on criminal impersonation, identity theft and obtaining by false pretence.
One of the charges against Essien reads: “That you, Abasiofon Daniel Essien (aka Jason Momoa) sometime in 2023, in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court did take possession of $300 (Three Hundred US dollars) intentionally, knowing that the money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: Identity theft and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under the Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
One of Wisdom’s charges reads: “That you, Effiong Wisdom “M” (aka Pamela Randy) sometime in November 2023, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did fraudulently present yourself as Pamela Randy to Michael Moore on the social media platform: Facebook/Instagram with intent to gain advantage for yourself did take possession of the sum of $170 (One Hundred and Seventy United States Dollars) knowing that the money formed part of the proceed of an unlawful act to wit: impersonation thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.”
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They all pleaded guilty to their charges when they were read to them following which prosecution counsel, Khamis Mahmud tendered their confessional statements and incriminating contents of their mobile phones to the court as evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
The judge convicted and sentenced them to two years in jail each. Umoh, Promise, Chiemelie and Nsikan were given the option to pay a fine of N2 million each (Two Million Naira). Junior, Essien and Ubong were given N1.5 million (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) option for a fine, while Wisdom was given N1,000,000 (One Million Naira) option for a fine.
In addition, Essien, Junior, Ubong and Chiemelie are to restitute $100, $300, $170 and N140,000.00 respectively to their victims, while Umoh, Promise, Wisdom and Nsikan will restitute $70, $140, N100,000.00 and Nsikan $50 respectively to their victims. Furthermore, they forfeited their phones, which were the tools of their crimes to the government.
CONVERSEER further learned that all the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for internet offences. They were later charged to court and convicted.
